FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslation) is a procedural programming language well-suited for performing large, complex numerical and scientific computations. Since the introduction of FORTRAN in the 1950s, many systems of varying size and complexity have been developed using FORTRAN. Some of these systems may be decades old and may still be in active use in various industries. As a result, these systems may be referred to as legacy FORTRAN systems.
Legacy FORTRAN systems can suffer from various drawbacks. First, a legacy FORTRAN system may have little or no documentation. Second, a legacy FORTRAN system may be developed using outdated software design methodology or no software design methodology at all. Third, multiple programmers may have worked on a legacy FORTRAN system, thereby creating code having multiple and sometimes disparate programming styles. Fourth, new college graduates currently entering the workforce may have received little or no formal training in legacy programming languages, such as FORTRAN, thereby reducing the amount of skilled programmers who can work on a legacy FORTRAN system. Such drawbacks and others can affect an organization's ability to maintain, migrate, and/or modernize legacy FORTRAN systems.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the disclosure made herein is presented.